Appeal 2007-0098
Application 10/169,909
nonwoven fabric within the meaning of 35 U.S.C. § 103. On this record, we
answer this question in the affirmative.
As is apparent from pages 5-7 of the Answer, Quantrille, Radwanski,
Haid, Roussin-Moynier, and Suskind individually teach the advantage of
employing the claimed hydrodynamic needling and calendaring in
strengthening nonwoven absorbent fabrics useful for wiping or women’s
sanitary napkins. Quantrile, for example, teaches hydroentangling and
calendaring a multi-layered web comprising a pair of carded nonwoven fiber
outer layers and a core elastomeric layer useful for, inter alia, diapers and
personal hygiene products. See column 1, lines 20-21, column 6, lines 33-
44 and column 7, lines 30-62. “As a result of the hydroentangling treatment,
at least a portion of the fibers in each of the carded layers 12 and 26 extend
through elastomeric layer 20, for example, through apertures in the
elastomeric net and into the carded layer on the other side of the net.” See
column 6, lines 39-44. The hydroentanglement method, according to
column 8, lines 25-39, is generally preferred over other well known textile
bonding methods. Quantrile also teaches that a multi-layered web having
nonwoven webs other than carded webs, such as nonwoven webs formed by
air laying, can be subjected to hydroentangling and calendaring. See column
8, lines 57-61. Specifically, Quantrile teaches that “[n]onwoven webs other
than carded webs can also be employed in the production of fabrics of the
invention. Nonwoven staple webs can be formed by air laying, garneting,
wet laying and similar processes known in the art…” (id.)
Similarly, Haid teaches a process for making hydraulically needled
(spunlaced), nonwoven fabrics (either carded or air-lay fibers) useful for
apparel and wiper application. See column 1, lines 5-26 and column 2, lines
6
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